1957 AC Ace Bristol

Chassis No. BEX259
Engine No. 100D 586
In the fertile years that followed the Second World War, Britain's motorsport landscape buzzed with gifted individuals who built lean, purposeful machines from little more than ingenuity and determination. John Tojeiro was among the finest of that generation, and his collaboration with the Hurlock family, proprietors of AC Cars, gave the world the AC Ace. Reportedly the most photographed car at the 1953 London Motor Show, the Ace was built around a slender tubular chassis clothed in an exquisitely spare aluminum roadster body, with fully independent suspension at all four corners. Worthing-based tuner Ken Rudd persuaded the factory to substitute the far more muscular 120-horsepower Bristol engine beginning in 1956, transforming an already accomplished sports car into a genuine racing proposition. The Bristol-powered Ace duly acquitted itself with distinction at Le Mans across five consecutive seasons, crowning its competition career with an outright class victory in 1959 at the hands of Ted Whiteaway and John Turner—a fitting tribute to one of the most elegantly conceived British sports cars of its era.
Completed on 1 March 1957, BEX 259 was originally finished in white with a red interior, as recorded in the AC register and documented in Ace Bristol Racing: A Competition History by John McLellan and Tony Bancroft. This left-hand-drive example was first registered in Florida, USA, before being imported to Europe and offered at public sale in Monaco in 1991. By that time, it had already adopted its current, elegant color scheme of dark blue with a black leather interior.
Thereafter based in Europe, it entered the ownership of a French collector before passing to a Finnish enthusiast during the 1990s and subsequently returning to France in the early 2000s. It then passed through the hands of two owners in northern France, Messrs. Alivray and Montanari, the latter selling BEX 259 in 2007 to Portuguese collector and gentleman driver Carlos Cruz. Seeking to focus on historic competition and more competitive machinery, he sold the car six years later to its current French owner.
In 2013, classic car expert Alexis Delicourt prepared a report on this AC Ace Bristol, noting a roadster in good overall condition, free from any signs of corrosion or accident damage, in sound mechanical order and regularly maintained—observations that remain equally valid today. The aluminum bodywork, chrome, and blue paintwork, refinished a year ago, all present well, and our road test proved entirely satisfactory. Its original Bristol six-cylinder engine is well tuned, delivering smooth and linear performance. The Ace retains its matching-numbers Bristol engine and is offered with an additional transmission, along with soft top and tonneau cover, soft top and tonneau cover. From the snug black bucket seat, the car proves a genuine pleasure to drive.
PREVIEW DETAILS:
This lot will be available for viewing in person at Museo Alfa Romeo from Thursday, 14th May 2026 to Monday, 18th May 2026.
SALE LOCATION:
Italy
BUYER'S PREMIUM:
10% + VAT on the Hammer Price
TITLE/REGISTRATION DOCUMENTS:
French Certificat d'Immatriculation
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
N/A
POST-AUCTION REMOVAL AND STORAGE:
Following the auction, this lot will be removed from site and transferred to a nearby third-party storage facility pending receipt of payment. The removal fee of €450 + VAT will be charged to the buyer. Storage charges of €50 + VAT per lot per day will also be charged from Thursday, 21st May 2026.